Paint until you love it

In the space between chaos and shape there was another chance.
― Jeanette Winterson

This painting almost ended up biting the dust. I was thisclose to grabbing my jar of black paint, and painting over the entire thing. It started out looking like this..

And I absolutely hate it. It was too dark, too blue, too yellow, too.. yawn, b o r i n g. The only thing I liked about it was the collage paper you see poking through at the bottom, and the glass. I knew I had to change it because I didn’t want it going out the door looking like a hot mess.

I used to be into dark colors, and I still am..for my portrait paintings. When I started painting florals again three years ago, I didn’t think to change my palette, so a few paintings were painted with darker colors. Colors I’d never reach for when painting a floral today.

Getting the painting from there to here was a bit of a challenge. The first thing I did was sand it down, and then I started covering up those hideous dark blue flowers, and yellow background. I’m so in love with the background now with the swirly light blue, pink and white. Such an improvement! I knew I wanted to keep some of the collage paper showing through at the bottom, so I did.

Every time I revise a painting, it reminds of something I learned while taking an online class from Misty Mawn a few years back. She said something like, “Paint until you love it. If you don’t love it, keep going until you do.” This painting is now finished.

I vaguely remember you mentioning that quote before. Need to file that in my brain, post it on my desk. I liked the blue with the green, but I can see the “mess” you had to fix. I love the softness of the after. All girl. All delight. LOve the visible stroke makes at the bottom, the collage, the wonderful way you handle the light in the water. Beautiful!!

Painter, licensed artist, blogger. My artwork can be seen on Criminal Minds on CBS. If you like my art, and want to license it, please contact me.

Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed: I was here. I was hungry. I was defeated. I was happy. I was sad. I was in love. I was afraid. I was hopeful. I had an idea and I had a good purpose and that’s why I made works of art. – Felix Gonzalez-Torres